Tuesday, January 26, 2016

When Lorraine from Fairy Meadow Miniatures came to my public programme at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery (GRAG) last month, we got talking about the trials I was having with my HBS Creatin' Contest build, and she kindly offered to come to Canberra for a day or so and give me a hand getting back on track plus teach me to solder and how to sort the lighting out.It took a while to find a date that suited both our schedules but, thanks to my understanding new boss who granted a day off between the weekend and Australia Day, we finally agreed that Lorraine would come to visit yesterday morning and head home this evening.

The first point of business (after making a cup of tea) was doing a dry fit so she could get a feel for where I was up to and what I was trying to do.

Then I learnt my first of many things from Lorraine: that I needed to choose my lights before I started anything else to do with wiring. Silly me had just assumed that you worked out where they were going, then attached whatever you ended up deciding on to the wiring right at the end...So I had to head upstairs, collect the options I had in stash and we made some quick decisions on what might work where.

Because some of the options were wired for 4.5 volt systems, and we were planning to run on the standard 12-volt system, there was some speedy rewiring, using some lovely pea bulbs from the package Elvira sent me 18 months ago (that's definitely a gift that keeps on giving!)

By the time we'd done that, and some spray painting of pieces it was time for dinner and chatting and then, finally, bed.This morning we were both up bright and early and while I made us tea, Lorraine set the breakfast table:

My soldering and lighting lesson started at 7.30 am (with us both still in our PJs!)First up, a demonstration of when polarity matters and how to check that you have it right (first takeaway for the day: using a 9-volt battery is an easy way to run tests on 12-volt systems).

Then I was formerly introduced to copper tape and its properties,

reminded of how to split and strip wires and how having the ends at different lengths helps ensure they don't accidentally touch and short out,

and shown why sticking the wire down with tape before you start soldering is a good idea.

Touch the wire with the tip of the soldering iron,

introduce some solder wire stuff (that's a technical term, I'm sure),

tap off once it starts to melt (if there's no melting happening, turn your soldering iron tip around a little, as one side's hotter than the other) and remove the iron once the solder 'flows'.

Voila! One neat and tidy join.

Then it was time for me to have my first go (top)

and second, much neater version (bottom).At which stage Lorraine handed me the wires attached to one end of a 12-volt transformer she happened to have in her work box and showed me how to solder it on the other end of the copper tape and suddenly there was light!

(I felt ever so chuffed...)We celebrated by showering and dressing before running a couple of errands, including buying more mat board (I'd used my supply up building the scenes for the GRAG exhibition).Because, it would seem, I hadn't needed to spend days on end undercoating my pieces and waiting for them to dry before spraying the next coat on, as Lorraine told me that the neatest way to run wires is behind false walls made of mat board.

Having seen my appalling cutting skills, Lorraine decided that the only safe thing to do was measure and cut the board for me, fixing the worst of my mistakes along the way (bless her!).

Finally, about mid-afternoon, she declared it was time to start gluing the floor and walls together

Saturday, January 23, 2016

It's been a bit quiet around here: most of my energy has been focused on a six-month contract that I started at the beginning of last week.

I've been getting used to a new rhythm to my days, learning as much as I can in the new role and I've been getting home at night exhausted, which means no brain space to think—let alone do anything—miniature.

At the exhibition we chatted about what our plans were for 2016, and I mentioned that I wanted to build and manage a teeny tiny gallery, or a chain of teeny tiny galleries (something I've been talking about and working towards since the close of Call of the Small), and had been talking to a couple of people about places for it to live.

And she said 'I've got Bette Noir in my studio: perhaps that would work for you?' And I had to admit I had no idea what she was talking about. She explained it was a miniature gallery that was well-known in the Canberra arts scene many years ago and that she'd been given custodianship of some time ago and hadn't had the time to devote to because of other commitments.

'I'm clearing out my studio this weekend', she continued. 'Would you like to become its curator?'

And so it came to pass that my assistant Wendy is, onceagain, assessing a gallery space.

And I've had to find room (temporarily) for another (large) miniature in my flat

Saturday, January 09, 2016

This is a scene I put together and photographed in late November last year, planning to create a video on how I put together a scene and show it as part of my public programme at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery.I took a kazillion photos of the process, drew lines all over some of the photos showing how the eye travels across and around the scene. And even recorded several versions of the intro to it.And then I completely changed directions on what I wanted to do for my presentation, telling myself that I'd finish the video and post it on my blog very soon.Long-time readers know how long my lead times can be. So I figured I'd share the final scene today and if, eventually, I get the video done, I'll load that up for your entertainment.

Thursday, January 07, 2016

While pottering with yesterday's kitchen updates, I started thinking about the idea of not using the plastic shelving units (I realised they were too big to fit under the saw, and I'm not interested in trying to cut them by hand). And instead creating some bench space on each side of the stove.I pulled out my Miele kitchen appliances, swung the 'pressed steel' around so it ran along the wall above the benches rather than up the wall behind the stove, and started rummaging for something to use as a bench top to tie the under-bench bits together.Thought of rustic wood, but that was heading too far away from the original idea. Then I decided on cardboard with some of the wallpaper samples I picked up last time I was at Masters on top.While I was pulling them out, I noticed the vinyl samples I'd got at the same time . And had a eureka moment.

The tile scores and snaps easily and cleanly, is the perfect thickness, is self adhesive (if you're in the mood for some permanence in your miniature life), comes in a (limited) range of colours. And it's FREE!

Monday, January 04, 2016

It's a grey old day today, so I was ever so pleased that I'd arranged to go to the cheapy Monday movies with a friend this morning.

But after I'd arrived home and had lunch, that nagging sense that I needed to feed the blog crept up on me, even though I complained that I was tired and unmotivated and just wanted to sprawl on the sofa with a book rather than be creative.

And I heard my inner wise voice whisper gently 'Just have a play on this grey old day. And see what happens.'

So, after sighing loudly and rolling my eyes, I headed over to my pile of unused treasures and stared blankly at it for a few minutes.

Until my brain decided to take the suggestion literally (as it's wont to do), and I found myself focusing on these Kaleidoscope House kitchen stools, given to me in 2012 by Mini Dork.

Then I spotted the SLICE Tilt coffee table that Mod Pod Miniatures sent me in November last year. And the wheels started turning. A futuristic-style cafe, maybe?

which didn't seem quite right. At which stage I stepped back for a moment: and remembered the Daiso 'shelves' I bought in Melbourne in 2014 and which have ended up quite buried in the stash. Much better!

Then I spied the ELF kitchen units that Elvira had sent. And realised two things at once: 1) this scene was turning into a showcase of miniature gifts from blog buddies (yay!) and 2) it wasn't a cafe at all, but rather a private kitchen.

I kept playing.

Emboldened by my success in cutting the bath, I wondering how I would go if I tried cutting the depths of the shelves down. I also wondered if it would drive me nuts knowing that no one in their right might would install a stove in a kitchen without room to place hot pans beside it.

By this point I was pretty sure I had something I wanted to develop further, so pulled out my trusty concrete paver for the floor.

And also the roll of white IKEA VARIERA drawer mat I picked up at Canberra IKEA on my first visit, although I'm fairly sure that it will scream 'space station' if I use it in this scene.

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